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ISSUE
79 - August 2009
Over 8,000 Total Ads Listed
1,000+ NEW Ads Per Week
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Golden
Hawks Revisited |
By Kevin Moore, Contributing
Editor & Photographer
Roslin, Ontario, Canada |
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Arguably the most beautiful F-86 Sabre in
the world, Hawk One performs a high-speed pass showing off
the Golden Hawks paint scheme. |
In the late 1950s, the Royal Canadian
Air Force created an aerobatic display team to celebrate
the Golden Anniversary of (powered) Flight in Canada. March
1st, 1959 saw the creation of the Golden Hawks flying team
consisting of a six-plane formation of Canadian built Canadair
Sabres, known in the USA as the F-86 Sabre. |
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As the nose gear
door closes, Hawk One climbs out in preparation for the solo
performance, left. An absolutely beautiful F-86 Sabre, Hawk
One sits on the tarmac at CFB Trenton painted in Golden Hawks
colours, right. |
The Golden Hawks team was first lead
by Squadron Leader Fern Villeneuve and they were quickly
known as one of the top aerobatic display teams in the world.
The team and the airplanes represented the RCAF in all their
glory…. They were simply “Golden!” |
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Before the Golden
Hawks paint, Vintage Wings of Canada rolled out their restored
Sabre in September of 2008, left. Hawk One’s impressive group of pilots posing with the
original Golden Hawks Team Leader, (H)Col. Fern Villeneuve,
right. From left to right are Maj. Tim Leslie, LCol. Paul Kissman,
Col. Fern Villeneuve, LCol. Dan Dempsey, LCol. Steve Will,
and Col. Chris Hadfield. |
Though originally formed with the
intention of flying for only one season, the popularity of
the team assured their continued flying for 5 seasons. Unfortunately,
due to budget cuts, the team was disbanded and their season
ended in February of 1964, much to the dismay of the RCAF
and the Canadian public.
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Showing off the
lines of the Sabre, Hawk One does a tight, right turn out,
left. In an almost knife-edge pass, Hawk One screams across
the flightline in a high-speed pass, right. |
The Golden Hawks performed in both
Canada and the USA and had an estimated 15,000,000 people
watch their aerobatics over the 5 years they flew in more
than 300 performances. Canadians have never forgotten the
Golden Hawks; those who remember seeing them fly and those
who haven’t but have read about them or seen photos
and film. Today, a strong sense of pride still exists when
you see and hear people talk about them. |
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Three of the many that have made Hawk One
and the Heritage of Flight a huge success throughout 2009,
Pilot and Team Lead LCol. Steve Will, Team Public Affairs Officer
Maj. Mary Lee, and Team Coordinator Capt. Dominic Taillon,
left. The vertical stabilizer of Hawk One displaying the Canadian
Centennial of Flight logo and an image of the Silver Dart,
the first powered airplane to fly in Canada, right. |
In Canada, the year 2009 is cause
for celebration in that it is the 100th anniversary of powered
flight in Canada. As part of that celebration Vintage Wings
of Canada in Gatineau, Quebec purchased a Canadair Sabre,
formerly flown by the RCAF. In conjunction with the government
of Canada, and other sponsors such as Magellan Aerospace,
Discovery Air, and WestJet to name a few, they have helped
to recreate some of the magic that the RCAF Golden Hawks
gave to the Canadian people 50 years ago. |
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With the leading
edge slats deployed, the Sabre performs a right turn out, (left)
before coming back around in a close-in knife-edge pass, right. |
Hawk One, as it is known, is a Canadian
built Canadair CL-13 (F-86) Sabre 5. Though it never flew
painted in Golden Hawks colours, it did fly as one of the
supporting aircraft in a training role for team tryouts wearing
serial number 23314. The Sabre was ‘struck off strength’ of
the Canadian Air Force in 1970, and was eventually sold to
an American interest. Until 2006, the Sabre saw many different
US owners, ultimately finding its way back home through Vintage
Wings of Canada, where it was restored and then flown to
CFB Cold Lake to be painted in its outstanding Golden Hawks
colours. |
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During airshows,
Hawk One often performs several formation passes with the Canadian
Forces Snowbirds aerobatic display team, left. The Sabres nasty
guns and the nose of the “Hawk,” right. |
Vintage Wings of Canada’s
list of experienced pilots of Hawk One is a dream team of
aviators. Former Canadian Air Force pilot, LCol.. Steve Will
heads up the group as Team Lead & Demonstration Pilot.
Other pilots include Maj. Tim Leslie, Vintage Wings of Canada’s
Vice President and Chief of Air Operations; LCol. Paul Kissman,
Deputy Team Lead & Demonstration Pilot; Col. Chris Hadfield,
pilot and Training Officer (and Canadian Astronaut); and,
last but not least, LCol. Dan Dempsey, pilot and Team Historian. |
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The pride of Canadian
Skies, The Golden Hawks Sabre (Hawk One), the Canadian Forces
Snowbirds, background, left, and the Centennial CF-18 Hornet
right and behind Hawk One, left. Hawk One in a formation pass
with the CF-18 Centennial Hornet and a CT-114 Snowbirds Tutor,
right. |
No team is complete without a number
of dedicated people who work tirelessly in the wings, and
the Hawk One maintenance and support teams are no exception.
Without these hard working folks, the pilots couldn’t
show off the fruits of their labours. Vintage Wings of Canada
and the Hawk One team have a group of people who are, bar
none, better than any other group of devoted volunteers and
staff anywhere. |
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The Sabre in a ‘down
and dirty’ pass… gear down, flaps down, speed
brakes and leading edge slats deployed for slow flight, left.
Taxiing back to the ramp past the crowd and the new control
tower at CFB Trenton, Ontario during the 8 Wing Air Display,
right. |
The Sabre, as part of the Centennial
Heritage Flight, has and will perform in several airshows
and displays across Canada throughout 2009. Though the original
plan was to fly the Sabre during the 2009 flying season only,
interest has been phenomenal and there are tentative plans
to have Hawk One fly into 2010 and possibly beyond. Hawk
one performs both a solo act, and with a formation group
of three aircraft. The other two airplanes include the Centennial
CF-188 (CF-18) Hornet and a CT-114 Canadair Tutor, painted
in the colours of the “Golden Centennaires,” another
former Canadian Air Force aerobatic display team which flew
in celebration of the 100th birthday, Centennial of Canada
celebrations. Both aircraft were also painted at CFB Cold
Lake in Alberta. |
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A good view of Hawk
One from below, speed brakes out and leading edge slats in
full view, left. Two high performance fighters from different
generations, both with pedigree and performance, right. |
Across Canada, Hawk One will grace
the ethereal blue and dance on golden wings. For those
who had the fortune of seeing the Golden Hawks aerobatic
team perform some 50 years ago, the opportunity to see the
flaxen Sabre execute its graceful ballet brings tears to
their eyes. For others, who have only seen photos or
some of the rare bits of film footage, shivers will run up
their spines as the Canadian built fighter jet screams across
the airshow flightline, then points its nose skyward toward
the clouds. It is often said that history never repeats
itself. When you see Hawk One in the air, history comes
close.
For more information on Hawk One visit: www.hawkone.ca
For more information on Vintage Wings of Canada visit: www.vintagewings.ca
For more information on the Canadian Centennial of Flight
visit:
www.canadiancentennialofflight.ca
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Breaking right,
the Snowbirds Tutor leaves the formation, left. Performing
a slow-speed flypast for the crowd and the cameras, right. |
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In a gentle climb-out,
Hawk One passes the crowd close-in, left. Coming around in
another formation pass, Hawk One and the Snowbirds offer the
airshow spectators another great photo-op, right. |
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